She Will Be Loved
by BlueCupcakes
Summary: He was innocent, but guilty at the same time. And he didn't even know it. Kai x Claire. HM:MFoMT. Eventual four-shot. Dedicated to Prologue.
1. He's Not Him

**Okay, so, I split this into like, four parts. Originally it was supposed to be a plain one-shot. But, eh, my imagination ran wild and it got way to long. 18 pages plus more is just waaaay too long for a oneshot, am I not correct?  
****  
Anyways, I hope no one thinks Claire is mary-sue since she has such a "tragic past" and blahblahblah. v.v Really, I don't think she is, but, I guess we'll see. What happens to her was something I dreamed one night. Just to let you know, that dreamed freaked me out. Seriously.**

**BUT ANYWAY! The first part is short, the next parts will be longer. Way longer. I hope you guys will enjoy, even if it is angsty. It might not be so angsty in the beginning, but it will be. OH IT WILL!!**

**Prologue, I hope this satisifies you for now. I know I've been taunting you for the past month with this, and for that, I'm deeply sorry. No, actually, it's fun taunting you. :) But, really, I hope you like it. I've worked really hard on this, as to why this has taken me over a month to write 18 pages. v.v**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.**

**--**

I didn't really know why I was here. It wasn't like I liked this place. Not even remotely close to liking it. The guy who owned this building just crawled under my skin, angering me. He...brought back memories that I would rather forget. That I'd rather not relive... How he reminded me of these painful memories was beyond me...But it hurt to know that an innocent guy earned my hate for him just because he alerted me of my past.

And he didn't even know it.

So why did my feet unconsciously drag me here?

I had no idea. And I didn't really want to stay here any longer. It…pained me severely. But I found myself…drawing nearer to the white shack on the beach, the inviting smells of well-cooked food wafting through my nose and making me forget my woes, if only for a little while.

Humming swayed through the screen door, catching my attention. Popuri, the pink-haired optimist came dancing out the door, almost barreling right into me.

"Oh! I'm _so_ sorry Claire!" Her ever-sweet and child-like voice rang through my ears. "It's so nice to finally see you on the beach! You know, I hardly ever see you outside unless you're doing farm work or something like that..."

And if finally dawned on her.

"Wait," she practically yelled, her ruby eyes wide. "How come you're headed for the Snack Shack? I thought you _never_ went in there!"

"I'm not sure," I mumbled, pushing past her stunned form.

"Well, I'm glad to see you out of your farmhouse, Claire! Finally get to see that pretty face of yours for once," she called out, her voice getting fainter the farther she walked away.

_Good riddance,_ my mind thought on its own accord. _She's like a walking headache waiting to happen._

I set aside my inner thoughts and gently pushed open the screen door, only for the inviting smells of…pizza to assault my senses.

The boy behind the counter had his back to me, searching for something in a cupboard, his purple bandana standing out against his dark tanned skin. He let out a few low mumbles, obviously not finding whatever he was looking for. When I shut the door, the springs made a loud _squeak_ echo through the restaurant.

"I'll…be right…there," he strained out. "Where the heck is that cheese grater?" he questioned himself, throwing things around.

Deciding to sit down, I went over to one of the many stools that lined the long blue counter. His restaurant wasn't much to look at, but it did remind me somewhat of the ocean. It was small, with white-washed paneling lining the walls. The floor was a dark oak color while the few tables and the counter I was currently sitting at were a blue color that strikingly matched the ocean. Over all, it wasn't too classy. But it wasn't cheap, either. I could tell he spent a lot of time working on his pride and joy, the Snack Shack.

Everything was placed neatly, nothing out of the ordinary.

…Except me.

I eyed what looked to be the cheese grater he was angrily looking for on the counter right in front of me, its silver brass shining in the light casting down from the skylight up above. I could see my dull blue eyes staring back at me as I looked at the kitchen utensil, not necessarily thinking about anything too important.

I guess you could call me an average-looking girl. I wasn't anything compared to the pretty little pink-haired bubble of a girl that currently caught his eye. I was…_normal_. Cliché, even. Long blonde hair, blue eyes. That type of thing. But weren't blue-eyed blondes _supposed_ to be pretty?

He sighed, apparently done with his exertion of looking for the utensil that was innocently lying on the blue counter, plain in-sight. As he turned around, he said, "Sorry about that. Oh! There it is. I always lose this stupid thing." He grabbed said object without even looking up at me and set it in the cabinet behind me. He turned back around, a smile on his face.

Until he saw who it was staring back at him.

"Oh, it's _you_. The Princess finally decided to come out of her castle?"

I tensed at the cruel nickname he had just dubbed me, tears instantly forming in my eyes. He had no idea what that name just did to me, what it was doing to me right at this moment.

I wouldn't let those tears fall though. No, I didn't cry.

As if on cue, memories of my harsh past engulfed me, flashing themselves before my eyes.

_"Where or where is my princess? Come out come out wherever you are."_

"Please don't call me that, Kai," I whimpered, coming back to the present. "_Please_."

"What? _Princess?_" I cringed, still holding back the obvious tears that had formed in my blue eyes. He must have seen my discomfort because his eyes widened and he looked flustered. "Sorry…Hey, are…are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I lied.

"Are you sure?" He raised a dark eyebrow. "'Cuz you don't look fine."

"'M'fine."

"Oookay," he dropped the subject. "What brings you here? Certainly my charm and good looks didn't convince you alone. But, maybe they did."

I let out a laugh mixed with a strangled sob, which had his eyebrows rising once more. "Are you sure…?"

Holding up a hand, I replied, "L-Long day, don't want to t-talk about it."

_Liar._

"Ah. I see. Well, everyone has bad days, I guess."

He flashed me a grin, his brilliantly white teeth sparkling against his ridiculously dark skin. How anyone could be so dark was beyond me.

"So you finally came outside. That's a first."

"Unlike you, some people don't like to go out in the sun all that much," I countered.

"But you're a farmer. And, anyway, what's so wrong with the sun?" He asked, leaning in front of me, his face mere inches away from mine; that inevitable grin still plastered on his face.

I didn't look at him. Instead, I focused on the sea foam green bracelet crafted from what seemed to be a sea shell that adorned his left wrist. "Melanoma."

Kai stepped back, blinking. "…Are you serious?"

I snorted, tracing circles in the blue wood with my index finger, my left hand supporting my head. "Pretty much."

Surprisingly, he laughed. The sort of airy, I-don't-have-a-care-in-the-world kind of laugh. "If I would have known that, sweetheart, I would have ripped you from your cave, applied some sun block to your pale skin, and then pushed you into the water with me."

"Swim suits aren't my cup of tea."

"Wear a t-shirt over it."

"What if I don't want to?" I asked, my chin held high.

"Darlin', I guess you would be wearing your swim suit then."

"I have a name," I retorted. "Please use it."

"_Claire_, really. You should come to the beach more often. I hardly ever talk to you, ya know."

"How are you and Popuri?" I asked, changing subjects. I didn't want to talk about swim suits and swimming anymore.

I was surprisingly holding out okay so far. I was beginning to wonder why I hadn't tried this earlier, just…_talking_ to him. The guilt was layering on thick, consuming me. He couldn't possibly be like _him_, could he?

Kai let out a sigh, letting it drag out dramatically. "Why do you ask?"

"Curious."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, grabbing a stool next to me. "Not so good."

"She seemed perfectly fine when I saw her coming out of here," I said.

"That's because she doesn't know we're not doing good," he added. "I haven't told her how I felt yet."

Wait- why was he telling _me_ this?

"You seem eager to get it off your chest," I stated.

"It's nice to have someone to talk to about it, even if they are a hermit," Kai said, smiling.

I let out a noise that sounded much like a 'hmph'. "What's wrong with her? She's beautiful."

He grunted. "So? Who do you think I am? Some shallow guy that only dates girls by their looks?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Talking to Rick lately, huh?"

"No," I stated coldly. "I don't talk to him."

He swiveled on his stool, amused. I simply sat there, staring off into space, not really caring if he fell off his stool or not. "Other than Rick, you're the only other person who thinks that."

"I know."

"Do you now?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting together, studying me. He brushed off my cold attitude like it was nothing. Couldn't he sense something?

I turned to face him to find out that he was mere inches away from me again. My breath caught in my throat as his breath hit me like a brick wall.

_Pineapples._

His breath smelled faintly of pineapples.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the smell of pineapples, I really did. But I thought he would smell gross like…alcohol or chewing tobacco.

_But this isn't__** him**__, _I reminded myself. _This is Kai. Definitely __**not **__**him**__._

Of course he didn't smell like alcohol. He wasn't _him_, and that was all that mattered.

_Get over it. It's been over for five years now, Claire. You were sixteen. You can't change the past, so stop thinking about it._

Somehow I still couldn't listen to myself.

"Y-Yes," I said, my voice shaky. "Mostly because…all the women in this town l-love you."

"This is true," he agreed, smirking. "But don't ever listen to Rick when he goes on his crazy rampages dealing with me. Most of the things he jabs about are complete lies."

"Most?" I questioned, curious.

He waved a hand at me like it was no big deal. "Yeah, most. Like the small things are true: me travelling a lot, having a lot of different girlfriends, and being _tall, dark, and handsome_."

"A lot of different girlfriends? Busy man," I noted.

"_Very_," he agreed jokingly, staring at me.

I turned my gaze elsewhere, not wanting to look at his face. "Seems so."

"Hey," Kai said, changing subjects. "You're coming outside tomorrow, right?"

He sounded hopeful.

"I don't know."

"Oh, c'mon! Come back to the beach and go swimming with me tomorrow! You know you want too." I saw him wink in my peripheral vision. "And make sure to wear a bathing suit, you need some sun."

I got up from the metal stool, my hands still splayed out flat on the cool wooden counter. "I'll…think about it."

"Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!" Kai called out as I walked out of the Snack Shack.

Feeling his eyes on my back, I quickened my pace and left the beach in record time.

--

**Yup, this is only about 6 pages long, so sorry about that. Hopefully you readers liked it! I'm not entirely sure if this first part is actually angsty or not, but just you wait, the angst will come.**

**Review please? :)**


	2. Time For a Swim

**Told you this would be longer. ;D This has actually been done for a while...yeah... **

**Anyway -- started school today. Sucks big time, I hate it. I could probably write about twenty pages of school ranting, but I don't think I should... :P Eh, I'm tired.**

**I love reviews. :3**

**_Prologue:_** Oh, yes, I enjoyed your review. Look, I updated when I said I would! You get to read more, wooooo! Thanks for waiting so patiently! ;3 I'm glad that I kept Kai in character as well, it would be pretty bad if I didn't...hmmm...

**_becca-baybii:_** Thanks a lot! Hopefully I didn't keep you waiting too long. :)

**_Rizu-chan:_** You can guess, but I'm not sure you'll be right or not. And just wait -- it WILL be angsty. Next chapter, for sure. I'm working on it right now. Thanks for the review!

**_Sonno:_** Thank you, here's the next chapter!

**_Midnight Shine:_** Thanks for the review! Sadly you won't find out about her past until later, so please keep reading! :)

**_Quirke:_** Thank you! Yeah, I tried making Claire more...realistic, like I try with most of the characters I write about. Edgy is a good word to describe her, since she definitely isn't bubbly or anything like that. You'll find out about her past very soon!

**_XxSuperGrlxX:_** I'm glad you liked it! Here's the next update. :D

**Wow -- I didn't expect to get this many reviews, thank you all so much! I guess Kaire is a lot more popular than I thought. **

**I listened to a lot of songs by Utada Hikaru when I wrote the majority of this four-shot. And...Michael Jackson, Nightwish, Breaking Benjamin, Mindless Self Indulgence, Linkin Park, and Disturbed. I guess they just write good angst-inspiring music. Except for Utada, Michael, and MSI. They be angst-free. XD**

**What happened to Claire? I'll give you all one guess.**

**Onwards!**

--

Taking a deep breath, I let the fresh salty sea air consume me. Again I found myself stepping onto the hot sand of the beach, the waves crashing down on the shore a few feet away from me. It wasn't a large beach, but it was big enough to fit the whole population of Mineral Town. But that wasn't saying much, either.

The sea gulls soared way above my head, their calls ringing out against the cool breeze. I was now sitting under one of the many multicolored umbrellas that were scattered across the beach, my bright blue towel underneath me. It wasn't quite noon yet, but that was okay. I wanted to get my thoughts straightened out anyway.

Yesterday was a strange day for me, that was for sure. How I didn't break down as soon as I saw Kai surprised me. Was I really getting over it? Was I finally able to leave the past _in_ the past? I had no clue, but I wanted to find out. I wanted to know why I came back today, why I had a faint giddy feeling in the pit of my stomach to go swimming with him, and why I was excited that I had that giddy feeling.

This wasn't me.

I closed my eyes as the breeze tickled my skin, letting my thoughts melt away. I didn't want to linger on these thoughts right now. I actually wanted to have some fun in my life, which I rarely had.

"Even outside, the hermit stays in the shade."

Opening my eyes, I saw Kai walking towards me with…_Popuri_ latched onto his arm. It made me a little angry but I told myself it was because he didn't tell me he was bringing her.

"I was just waiting for _you_, that's all." I made sure to put emphasis on the word 'you' to let him know that I wasn't a fond of him keeping Popuri coming today a secret.

He must have sensed it because he gave me an apologetic look as they neared me. "Claire," Popuri gushed, "how nice to see you outside again! We are going to have fun today, hmmm?"

She was wearing a tiny, black two-piece bathing suit with pink polka dots that matched her bubble gum colored hair. Suddenly I felt even more self-conscious in my own, plain midnight blue two-piece.

"I just _love_ your swimsuit, Claire," she added. "It goes well with your hair and complexion. Simple, yet pretty."

For some reason, Popuri always gave me compliments like that. I had no reason why she did, so it confused me every time. I wasn't pretty, and I definitely didn't _try_ to make myself look 

pretty. Believe me, I used to try to do the normal things girls did. Put on makeup, take extra time to pick out a cute outfit, or style my hair. It was just too hard for me, and it always turned out useless in my case because I never once looked good in the end.

"You look gorgeous, Popuri," I complimented. And I meant that. She looked stunning in her bathing suit. Much better than I looked. If she was wearing a brown-paper-bag, she would have _still_ looked stunning.

"Thanks," she giggled. "Come one Kai! We should just get in the water already. It's so _hot_."

Popuri was doing her whining thing again. This was never a good sign.

"Sure, Popuri," Kai replied. "C'mon Claire. Put that sun block on and jump in with us. Or I just might have to force you."

Letting out a sigh, I dragged myself up and brought out the SPF 45 sun block. This stuff was the reason I never burned, the reason I was so pale.

No way was I going to get melanoma.

By the time I was at the water's edge, Popuri and Kai were already in the water, splashing each other playfully. A wave hit the shore, my ankles getting covered by cold ocean water. It felt good, not like how I remembered it feeling. I couldn't even remember the last time I swam in the ocean. Too long, it seemed.

I walked into the beautiful blue water slowly, taking my sweet time. Popuri was laughing as Kai splashed her again, probably having the time of her life like she always did when she was around him. Hopefully Rick wasn't informed of her being here with him, he would freak if he knew. I felt sorry for the poor girl. I knew Rick was just being a protective older brother, but he overdid it at times.

No, no. _All_ the time.

When I finally was submerged shoulder deep into the ocean, I stood there and relished the coolness of the water, the way it felt on my skin. And the sand beneath my feet, the way the soft grains came together only to get squished between my toes. I let out a content sigh, happy at the moment.

This was a rare thing, mind you.

_Just think happy thoughts, Claire. That's all you have to do. Happy thoughts._

The splashing stopped, and I looked around, only to see Popuri swimming a few feet away from me. As soon as she saw me she gave me a smile so large that her eyes squeezed shut. She gave me a curt wave. Once she opened her eyes, she giggled, looking past me.

Knitting my brow, I turned around, the water splashing slightly at my movement. I gasped at Kai's close proximity, my breathing hitched. "_What_ are you doing?" I asked, startled. "_Where_ did you go?"

"Under the water, silly. Where else?"

He flicked a small amount of water at me, which hit me in the shoulder. I looked down at the water dripping from my shoulder, staring. "Did you just splash me with water?" I asked, almost playfully.

Almost.

"Yeah, what are ya gonna do about it?"

I could tell he was looking down at me, but I didn't dare look up, at his face. Somehow I knew. I knew if I looked at his face – I would remember, remember the past.

I didn't want to linger on the past. I wanted to move on with my life. But it was hard, and I found myself not being able to do that.

Yet.

"Nothing," I answered simply.

I couldn't tell what expression he was wearing, but I definitely knew it wasn't an amused one. I knew I had said the wrong thing.

"Really." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Kai!" Popuri's voice called over from the shore. She was sitting on her knees, examining something in the sand. "I think I found something. Come look!"

As he moved through the clear blue water, he let out an annoyed sigh that sounded more like a grunt. "I'll be right back," he said, placing a tanned hand on my shoulder tenderly, as if afraid to touch me, afraid of my reaction to the simple gesture.

I didn't do anything about it.

He let out what I thought to be a relieved sigh as he let his hand drop and enter the water again. He was probably thinking I would blow up at him about that touch.

As I stared at his retreating form expressionless, I couldn't help but tell that he wasn't wearing his purple bandana. He always wore that thing, everyday. It was weird seeing his dark brown hair, short and shaggy, uncovered.

At least it wasn't the color of _his_ hair.

_Stop thinking about that. __**Stop. Thinking. About. That.**_

I let out a sharp, shaky breath, calming myself the best I could. Popuri was showing Kai some stupid little sea shell she found, obviously just wanting his attention all to herself. She was giggling now, something he said amused her.

"Oh, Kai!" she exclaimed dramatically, placing her hand on his arm, looking up at him with big ruby eyes through thick, perfect black lashes.

Please gag me.

I did not come here to witness this crap. I actually didn't know why I came here, really. But this? _This_ was definitely not it.

Taking a deep breath, I plunged underneath the water, letting the scene I just witnessed drown in the deep depths of the ocean. What I couldn't stand about swimming underwater is that you couldn't breathe. You had to constantly go up to the surface and take a breath and then go back under. It was annoying, and quite frankly, it aggravated me. You should just be able to stay under for however long you wanted to.

When I couldn't stay underwater any longer, I swam back up to the surface and let the salty air fill my lungs. My breathing was a little ragged, and I found out that I had swum farther away from the two who were flirting by the shore. Oh well, I was still able to reach the bottom, so I was fine.

A small wave pushed by, sending me a little towards shore. I pushed my hair back, getting the long, wet strands out of my face. Kai looked over at me and grinned, said something in Popuri's ear, which made her smile, and started swimming my way.

"Hey," Kai said softly as he came over to me, only his head poking out of the water.

"Hey."

"Having fun?" he asked.

"Somewhat," I said.

He scrunched up his nose. "I see."

I dived into the water without another word, the sun being too hot on my skin. Bringing my arms and legs in, I quickly let them spring back out, swimming away from Kai. I was always a good swimmer; I never really needed to be taught how to do it. I was just…a natural at it, I guess.

I resurfaced, only to get a mouthful of salt water. Choking, I heard laughing and looked up to see none other than Kai. "What the hell?"

"That's for leaving me hanging. I wasn't done talking to you."

"And…?" I asked. I wanted to glare at him, but opted against it. "You figured splashing water in my face would be appropriate?"

"What's your problem?" Kai asked, frowning.

I snorted. "You seriously don't know?" He shook his head. "I know this is a beach and everyone is allowed to be here and all, but why didn't you just tell me you were bringing Popuri along with you?"

"Oh," Kai frowned, "you're mad about _that_."

"Why else would I be mad?" I questioned rather loudly.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. I could tell that he was also playing with the edges of his purple swim trunks under the water nervously. "Well…I don't know, really. I mean, I didn't even invite her, actually. I just let it slip that I was spending the day with you and she…invited herself."

"I see."

"Yeah."

"She's coming over here."

"Huh?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Popuri. She's coming over here," I stated, staring down at the ripples the droplets of water falling from my hair were making in the water.

I saw him look said girl's way out of the corner of my eye. His arms were crossed and there was a frown etched upon his lips.

"Kai," she cocked her head to the side upon seeing him frowning, "wait…what's wrong with you?"

He shook his head, giving her a smile soon afterwards. "Nothing. What's up?"

"I'm _hungry_," she whined, clinging to his still-crossed arms.

There goes the _whining_ thing again. How annoying…

"Oh, okay. How about I make us all something to eat, Poppy?" Kai asked, patting her hand that was all too comfortable lying on his tanned arm.

_Poppy?_

Oh dear Goddess.

As we walked back to shore (the water being shallow enough for us to do that in the water), I couldn't help but make fake gagging noises behind Kai's back as he led us to his restaurant. He turned his head and gave me a glare that read, 'you better stop if you know what's good for you'. I did it one more time to get my point across, telling Popuri I was choking on water when she asked me what was wrong.

I swiveled on my stool next to Popuri, who was sucking down a strawberry milkshake Kai had just made her. You know the noises that are made when someone sucked through a straw but there was nothing left in the glass?

Well she was making those noises.

And it was seriously annoying me.

She jumped up without warning, her damp pink towel falling to the floor, long forgotten. Popuri scampered to the back room where Kai was residing, preparing a "special" meal for all of us.

I hugged my blue towel against me, not so keen about parading around Kai's restaurant in nothing but a swimsuit.

"Kai," I heard Popuri pout. "Are you going to make sno-cones?"

"Sure, Popuri. Anything you want."

I rolled my eyes just as they emerged from the kitchen, Popuri trailing Kai like a puppy following its master. It was pathetic.

"Oh, Claire. I hope you like Hawaiian pizza," he said, giving me a curt wave.

I scrunched up my nose in confusion. I never had that kind of pizza before. Actually…I couldn't really remember the last time that I did _have _pizza.

"What is-"

"It's pizza with pineapple and ham!" Popuri interrupted me.

I guess she already knew what I was going to ask _Kai_.

"Yeah," the traveler confirmed, sounding distant. He turned towards me. "What flavor sno-cone would you like?"

I shrugged. "Surprise me."

He grinned, looking happier all of a sudden. "Awesome."

"You know my favorite, Kai! Strawberry!" the pink-haired practically squealed.

"Yeah," Kai sighed, "I know."

Popuri plopped herself down beside me once again, in a less bubbly mood. I followed Kai with my eyes and watched as he prepared the three ice treats. I couldn't really tell what he was doing since his back was blocking my view.

Oh well.

Maybe I'd have him show me how to make one someday.

_Yeah, right._

Once he was done making them, he set the sno-cones down on the counter in front of us. Mine wasn't really pink, but it wasn't exactly red either. More like a reddish pink. I was going for raspberry, my favorite fruit.

I took a spoonful and stuck it into my mouth, savoring the fruity flavor. Yup, definitely raspberry. Wow I _was _good.

I swallowed and looked at Kai, who was smirking at me. "So?"

"Raspberry," I stated.

His eyes widened. "Whoa. Nice job."

"Lemme guess," I eyed his sno-cone, which was a pale yellow, "yours is pineapple."

He chuckled and grabbed said cone of ice. "You didn't even have to taste it to know."

"Is that your favorite fruit, Claire? Raspberry?" I was surprised to hear Popuri's childish voice next to me. I almost forgot she was here.

"Yes."

"Cool," she smiled.

"I'll be right back," Kai said as he walked back towards the kitchen.

That left me alone with Popuri again.

_Awkward silence._

"So…," she mumbled quietly. _Very unlike her_, I noted. "Did you have fun swimming today?"

"I suppose," I grumbled as I twirled a piece of my damp hair with a finger absentmindedly. "I haven't gone swimming in a while."

"Really?" There was general curiosity in her voice. "When was the last time you did?"

"…I…can't remember," I stated simply.

"Huh," she acknowledged, running a petite hand through her damp, long, pink hair. "That kind of, like, sucks."

"Yeah," I agreed, not really wanting to press the subject any longer.

Kai took that precise moment to come out, a delicious looking pizza sitting on top of a large, silver platter in his hands. It was the one time I could safely say that I was glad that he was there; being alone with Popuri was just…_awkward_.

He set it down in front of us, smirking. Crossing his arms, he said, "_Bon appétit_, _Mademoiselles._" That crooked smirk was still plastered to his face.

Popuri giggled, and I couldn't help but give a small smile to his awful French accent. "_Merci, monsieur_," she sighed, eyeing Kai dreamily. If it wasn't for that look she gave him, I would have complimented her French accent.

While we were eating, Popuri took it to be her duty to fill the void of silence with her voice the whole time. How the girl never lost her voice was beyond me.

"So," she said, chewing on a piece of cooked pineapple. "_Kai_," she addressed, "what are we doing tomorrow? You hardly do _anything_ with me anymore," she pouted.

"We're doing something right now," he said casually.

She huffed and crossed her arms. "Yeah, but I had to practically _beg_ to come today. And I meant something along the lines of _fun_ and…_alone time._"

I scrunched up my nose, insulted. Was I that much of a damper on this activity? She could have just said something to me, instead of hurling it at my face like that. It was embarrassing, and rather childish.

"We were alone yesterday," Kai stated, leaning on the wall across from us, his arms crossed.

Popuri stood up and put her hands on her hips, letting out a loud _hmph_. I was still sitting, staring at the two of them. The tension was a thick fog hovering above our heads. And it wasn't about to clear out anytime soon.

"What's your problem?" she demanded. "It seems as though you don't want me here!"

_Ding. Ding. Ding._

He let out a long, ragged sigh, his shoulders slumping as he pushed up against the white-washed paneling. His reaction was a good enough answer to her question, seeming as she stomped her foot and crossed her arms in a loud manner.

"Oh, I see what's going on. You wanted to be alone with," she pointed at me; her red eyes boring into mine venomously, "_her._"

My eyes widened in shock, while Kai cringed. Was her kindness just an act? Did she really not like me? I guessed I deserved it; I was all but nice to her. In fact, I was blunt, sarcastic, and rather mean towards her, and she was just trying to be friendly. But it didn't mean I didn't like her, I was like that towards everyone.

_Wait a second._

Did…did Kai _force_ her to be friendly with me? Did he know that Popuri wasn't fond of me? I felt…betrayed and rather embarrassed for falling for it all. I was stupid. I was…_not_ going to cry. I hadn't cried since…since…_him_. Five years ago.

And I would _never_ do it again.

Of course, tears would occasionally well up, but never fall. I refused to let them escape, to make known that I was affected somehow; good or bad.

Crying showed that you were weak, made you vulnerable. It splayed your emotions out on a table for the whole world to see, for people to see you in your most weakened state. I 

didn't like that; I didn't like that at _all_. I hated that somehow, someone could see you defenseless and pathetic through crying; whether out of joy, sadness, or fear.

I went to leave but Popuri stopped me. "NO," she ordered. "_I'll_ leave, since I'm not wanted here."

I flinched and backed away slightly, turning my head to where my hair shielded my face, the portal to my emotions. They didn't need to see the pain and hurt in my eyes, for I was the one who caused those feelings to be there.

"Have fun with your emo girlfriend, Kai," Popuri said, her voice level. But the words were full of such anger that I thought I was going to be knocked to the floor by the power they were emitting.

Her words hurt me, they really did. She didn't have to say anything rude to get the message across: she hated my guts. For what reason, I did not know. But for Kai not to defend himself, to tell Popuri that her words weren't true, was a little suspicious.

The screen door slammed shut, the loud _bang_ echoing against the now-nearly empty restaurant. The food on the counter lay forgotten and cold, almost lonely-looking.

I felt the same way.

For five minutes Kai and I stood there, silent and lost in our own thoughts. Finally, when I couldn't bear being there for another second, I moved towards the door, but Kai's voice called out to me, soft and pleading.

"Claire…I-"

I was so sick right now. Sick of the guilt, the embarrassment, and the pain that this whole ordeal had caused me.

"Save it," I snapped.

And I was out the door before he could say another word.

--

**Tell me what you thought, leave a review, please! Next chapter should be out in about a week or so, depending on school. A lot of hard classes this year. v.v**

**Gah, my life is going to get hectic, fast.**


	3. Haunting Memory

**Oh dear, don't hate me for taking SO LONG with this. D: I'm sorry! Yeah, anyway, I'm not too fond of how this turned out, but whatever. Thanks for the kind reviews, everyone, I love them all! ****And some people think I got Popuri's character wrong by making her a total bitch. Well, if your so-called boyfriend really didn't love you like you do them, and they liked the girl that you really didn't like, wouldn't you be pissed? Eh, I might have shifted her character a bit, but everyone has a little witchy-ness in them somewhere.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, if I really owned Harvest Moon do you think I would actually be writing fan fiction for it? No, I don't own anything. Not even a car.**

**Lawl, what's up with me and flashbacks? I have a fetish for them, I suppose. XD**

* * *

I sighed into my pillow. The alarm clock was going off and I had no desire to get up this morning. Six a.m. was way too early for me today; a couple of more hours of sleep could do me good. Slamming my hand down on the annoying little contraption caused the irritating beeping sounds to diminish, leaving me slightly satisfied. Now only if I could get back to sleep…

After tossing and turning for a good thirty minutes, I finally decided that I wouldn't be getting anymore sleep this morning. Groaning, I pulled the bedding away from my body and flipped my legs over the side of the bed.

I hated mornings. I wasn't the "morning person" type. Anything to do with the crack of dawn; alarm clocks, waking up, feeling like a zombie as soon as you woke up, and even breakfast were things I wasn't too fond of.

Sighing, I stepped in front of the floor length mirror in my bathroom. I grimaced. It looked as though I hadn't slept in a week. Quite frankly, I looked like crap. And it didn't help that I was wearing these ratty pair of jeans and an old gray t-shirt. I never looked good when I did my daily chores on the farm, but I guess no one did, really.

But that didn't help the fact that I _never _looked good.

I ran a hand through my disheveled hair, and brushed against a particular soft spot on the top of my head. I cringed. _Ouch._ That hurt more emotionally then physically. I carefully traced the scar that had been branded onto the back of my head, towards the top. It hurt, only slightly. I was very aware of how the pain dulled over the years, but the scar was still there, forever leaving a mark on my life.

It was a constant reminder of what happened that night so long ago. Even though it happened five years ago, that horrible night was still fresh in my memory; taunting me whenever it had its chance, reminding me that my life was tainted. The memory was like an animal hunting its prey, sneaking up on me when I was most vulnerable, when I least expected it.

It lingered in the back of my thoughts, so old but so vivid, but that wasn't the worst of it. That memory clouded my vision of some man who was innocent, making me believe he was the enemy. It wasn't my fault that I felt that way towards Kai. _It wasn't_, I kept telling myself. _It wasn't._ There was only one man to blame for my troubles, the man who caused all of this, the one who was constantly haunting my memories, my dreams, and my _life_.

My father.

_Mom. Blood. They were both on the floor, her body lying limp in a pool of the scarlet colored liquid._

_A loud intake of breath and my hands were trembling, cupping my mouth. My eyes were wide, taking in the horrific sight before me. My mother. The beloved woman who had raised me, my best friend. Dead. Gone, forever. I was never going to see her laugh, see her smile. Ever again. _

_Hot tears slid down my cheeks, blurring my vision. I could hardly make out her face anymore, full of such fear, terror, and shock. Her body, lying in a pool of blood, was a huge blur to me now, fading into oblivion. Was I…was I fainting?_

_NO._

_Not when __**he**__ was still here._

_Mom would want me to fight, to get away. She would want me to stay strong and leave him like we were planning to this very night. She wanted me to run._

_**He**__ came home late, as usual. But what wasn't usual was that my mother and I were ready to leave, to take off and never look back at the life we had with him. He wasn't about to let that happen, though._

_I smelled the alcohol on his breath first, since I had been nearest to the door when he walked in. Somehow I knew this night would be different, that his drunken antics would get totally out of hand and Mom wouldn't be able to stop him. _

_Why hadn't I done anything? I could have…could have helped her!_

_But she had told me to go to my room, and I obeyed. I shouldn't have, I should have stayed and made sure she was all right. Mom wouldn't have wanted that though, I would have been laying on the floor next to her, in my own pool of blood, my face masking hers of complete pain and fear._

_**Mom wouldn't have wanted that.**_

_He had started yelling as soon as I left the room. Something about owning us and not letting us leave him. Mom shouted back about how he owned no one, that people owned themselves, and she said that we _were_ leaving and he couldn't do anything about it._

_He didn't seem to like that very much._

_I didn't think he really meant to hurt her, he was drunk after all. And not to mention angry. Anger and alcohol didn't mix well, especially with my father. But I wasn't going to forgive him for doing what he did, ever._

_My hands were trembling at my sides now, my breathing heavy, labored. The tears were still falling; I made no effort to wipe them away. Each droplet of salty water was a sign of sorrow, a sign that my mother had been…_murdered._ They were my way of showing how much I was going to miss her, how much her death hurt me._

_My tears were a sign that I was weak._

_Weak enough to let him affect me this way._

_I heard his boot-clad feet stomp around the kitchen, which was behind me. Was he watching me right now? Did he know that I knew he was behind me, watching me?_

_I didn't want to make any sudden movements, for I knew he would very well overpower me. He would know that I was frightened, that I knew he was watching me. So I kept staring at the spot where my mother laid, her heart silent, never to beat again. _

_A silver ray of light shone through the open window, making the blood on the floor shine almost, metallic-looking. The moonlight reflected off the golden football trophy lying on its side, next to my mother's head, making the gold shine in the silver glow. _

_The moonlight did nothing to enhance my mother's beauty. The bright light reflected off her platinum blonde locks, but there were no sparkles, no shine. Her hair was dull, matted together, blood meshing into the messy curls. Her face, her hair, both were stained with crimson, both would never shine again. She was dead…nothing sparkled._

_He was moving again…I could hear his footsteps getting closer. I didn't dare cast a glance behind me; let him think I'm utterly clueless to his presence. I would catch him off guard. Even though I was weak compared to him, I had the element of surprise on my side, though he probably thought he would be surprising me._

_Rubbing the pad of my thumb across the tips of my fingers, I let out a shaky breath. I had to act like I was oblivious of him closing in on me, it was the only way. By now the tears I had shed were dried, my face was puffy and hard to move._

_His heavy breathing was getting closer; I could already smell the liquor surrounding him. But I couldn't move, couldn't do anything. My feet were frozen to the ground, by…fear? Of course I was afraid of him, he was a monster._

_All too suddenly he stopped, his tall form casting a large shadow in the sliver of moonlight leaking from the open window. I couldn't tell how far away from me he was now, but he must have been close; too close for comfort. I shivered involuntarily. I told myself it was because of the chilly night air wafting through the open window, and not because of him. But I knew that it was a lie._

_**RUN!**__ My mind suddenly screamed. __**Run, hide!**_

_He lunged for me then; his less than graceful steps slow from the alcohol. Taking a deep breath, I dove to the side, landing on the side of my stomach. Hard. I let out a whimper of discomfort, but didn't wait long to get up. Even though my father was drunk, he was fast, and still so strong. Being a star football player in college made him that way. But I was faster; I had Track to thank for that._

_I wanted to dash out the front door as fast as my long legs would take me, but he was already stumbling to his feet in front of said door, blocking my only way out. So I did the only other option I had – I ran._

_The stairs – they were to my right. My father – he was directly ahead of me, still trying to get back on his feet. To my left was just dead, empty space; the living room. Nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. The stairs were my best bet, the best option given the unavailability to escape out the front door. _

_I made a dash for the staircase, just missing my father's reaching grasp. My heart leaped into my throat as I felt his calloused fingertips rub against my bare arm. He grunted when I rushed out of his reach, his staggering footsteps following me clumsily up the stairs. I reached out and grabbed the dark wooden banister, knowing that if I didn't, I would surely slip and fall, making me vulnerable. I would be dead before he even touched me._

_I didn't understand why he was acting like this; he had never lashed out so cruelly before, even when drunk. He used to be a wonderful man, a great father. But that changed drastically when he lost his job, the only source of income we had. My mother, a stay-at-home parent, had to go out and apply for a job at a nearby café, working as a waitress, getting paid minimum wage. Father always promised us that he would go out and look for another job, but he never did. I thought he did a couple of times, but he was always turned down, for what reason, I did not know._

_And that's when he resorted to alcohol._

_See, it's a disease – alcoholism. It draws you in like a bug to a light, promising to take your pain away, to erase all that has brought you strife. But as soon as it corners you, you are left hopeless of every escaping its grasp, forever at its will. It's an addiction, a terrible addiction that doesn't just affect you, but the people around you as well. It fries your brain, making you a mindless zombie, sucking out your soul before you can stop it. It leaves you emotionless, a dark hole void of any consideration for your loved ones. All you think about is when you can cave into the addiction once more; the alcohol blinding you from all consequences._

_I didn't waste a minute as my bare feet touched the second floor. Flying down the hall, my heart hammering in my chest, I turned the corner sharply, coming onto another long hallway. My eyes flitted from side to side as I passed up closed doors, searching for a potential hiding place._

_Bathroom. Bedroom. Study. Bedroom. Closet._

_**Closet**__._

_After quickly taking a glance behind me, I wrenched the closet door open and ran inside. I made sure I didn't slam the door shut behind me, he would have heard that. _

_The small, claustrophobic room was dark; I couldn't even see my hands in front of me as I groped my way around. I didn't really need to see anything to know the small closet; the layout was imprinted in the back of my mind. There was a large pile of blankets right in front of me, the perfect place to wait for my father to pass out on the floor._

_Hopefully he did that soon._

_He usually always did._

_After crouching behind the pile of thick blankets, I waited. I heard his heavy footsteps walk past the closed closet door, but they suddenly stopped. My breathing was so loud; I wouldn't have been surprised if he heard it. Covering my mouth with my shaking hand, I lowered myself even more, until I was kneeling on the floor._

"_Where oh where is my princess? Come out come out wherever you are."_

_I cringed. I hated that nickname: __**princess**__. It was insulting. He only called me that when he thought I was being snobby or selfish; usually when he was drunk. I clamped my mouth shut as tightly as I could, afraid that I would yell at him for calling me that like I usually did._

_There was a loud __**creak**__; he was opening the door. My heart started beating against my ribcage, threatening to burst through my chest. I pressed myself into the large pile of blankets, making sure he couldn't see me at all. I was so lucky that there weren't any lights in here, for if there were, I would have surely been found._

_A few minutes went by before he grunted, spitting on the hardwood floor in the closet. I mentally gagged, that was such a nasty habit. Chewing tobacco and then proceeding to spit it out… The closet door slammed shut, and I was left alone. His loud footsteps echoed down the hall, disappearing in a matter of seconds._

_Where did he go?_

_Doing the smart thing, I waited at least five minutes before I slowly inched my way out of my hiding place. My breath ragged and hands shaky, I slowly opened the closet door. It made a small __**creak**__ as I slipped through the small space, cringing at the noise._

_I held my breath._

_He didn't come._

_Breathing out in relief, I molded myself to the side of the wall and tiptoed down the hallway towards the stairwell. If he wasn't anywhere near the living room, I could get out the front door and make a run for it. But, if he was…_

_I didn't really want to think about that._

_So far so good, and I was almost to the staircase. I inclined my head to look down the stairs and there was nothing there, just my mother's body. A sharp intake of breath and my life flashed before my eyes._

_My mother was gone._

_Closing my eyes painfully, I tried my best to compose myself. I had to get out, and now. I shouldn't have even stayed here this long, I needed to get out that front door and run for my life._

_I readied myself and jolted down the staircase, taking two steps at a time. I almost smiled as my hand touched the doorknob of the front door, the one thing that stood in front of me and my freedom, my escape._

_But it turned into a grimace when something latched onto my hair and pulled me back with a sharp tug. I let out a loud cry as my head hit something, hard. Stars flashed before my eyes and I struggled to stay conscious. My father was always so strong; I forgot how capable he was of hurting someone._

_Maybe because I didn't think I would be that someone._

_I was wrong._

_I whimpered as my hand flew back to touch the wound near the top of my head. It was rectangular in shape, and I immediately knew what hit me. It was his class ring. I used to be infatuated with it. The ring was long and gold, with a large purple gem in the middle of it. I always liked how the purple would sparkle and glitter when the light shined down on it…_

_A loud __**thump**__ brought me back from my thoughts and I was immediately aware that I was being dragged away from the front door, and into the kitchen. Did I black out for a few seconds? I must have, for that hit to the head was still pounding._

_I started struggling against my captor and his immediate response was to clamp his hand down on my mouth in fear of me screaming. Without thinking I bit down on his finger and his grip on me loosened._

_"You stupid little…"_

_Heart hammering against my chest and my head throbbing, I untangled myself from his grasp and back-kicked him in what I thought was his groin. He groaned in what I hoped was pain, and I made my escape without looking back to reassure myself that I had indeed kicked him in the correct spot. _

_He didn't chase after me this time, and I was glad. I didn't think I could withstand another encounter with him, I wasn't that strong._

_The next morning I woke up in an abandoned alleyway a few blocks from my house. I must have passed out while I was still running; I didn't remember too much of what happened after I escaped from the house. After I staggered my way (whilst holding my aching head) to my grandmother's house, who let me in with a shocked/relieved/pitying expression on her face, I had learned that my father had killed himself. He even left a suicide note that he must have written once he sobered up._

_I refused to read it._

There was pounding at my door and my head snapped up in surprise. I suddenly realized, from my cramp muscles, that I somehow managed to curl myself into the fetal position in the last ten minutes of just staring blankly at the mirror I now sat in front of.

_Pathetic. You're twenty-one years old, Claire. Stop acting like a baby and move on with your life._

Oh how I wished I could do so.

The knocking at my door got louder, more urgent.

"Claire?" A familiar voice rang out. "Are you in there?"

I let out a shaky breath as I unwrapped myself from the very uncomfortable position. This only happened on rare occasions, and I cursed myself silently for it. It hadn't happened in a very _long_ time. I was so pathetic, it wasn't even funny.

"Are you okay? I'm coming in whether you want me to or not!"

I rubbed my head haphazardly as my front door flew wide open. Purple flashed before my eyes and before I knew it I was screaming.

* * *

**Gawd, don't hate me. v.v Ick, it's rushed and it sucks. But yeah, it's the best I could come up with.**

**I promise I'll have the last part out before this week ends. It's going to be short, but sweet. Yeah.**


	4. A Long Road Ahead

The smell of powerful disinfectants and chemicals burnt my nose before I could open my eyes to reveal a small, stark white room. A moan escaped my lips as a throbbing pain emitted from my skull. This wasn't good.

Where the hell was I?

There was a small shuffle of clothing and a scrape of a chair across linoleum, which really did nothing to stop the enormous headache I now had. I groaned involuntarily as I sat up. I was in a bed. A _hospital_ bed.

What _happened_?

"Oh," a deep, cheery voice exclaimed, "you're finally up!"

I blinked away the grogginess from my eyes, rubbing my sore head while I turned to look at the unknown source of the voice.

Deep, chocolate brown eyes stared back into my own sky blue ones.

"Kai," I squeaked.

My heart started racing for some odd reason, and I couldn't unlock my eyes from his. To say I was startled was an understatement, I was completely freaked out. Why was he here? Why was _I_ here? Where even was _here_?

"Hey," he stated calmly. "Relax; I can hear you breathing from over here." Kai chuckled nervously, eyeing me as if I'd jump out of the bed at any moment and scratch his eyes out.

How could he tell me to relax? I just woke up in some bright white room which caused my headache to worsen, Kai was with me, and all I could remember was being at home before everything went blank. Nothing.

And that scared me.

I turned away from him and asked, "Where am I?"

"The Clinic."

My breath hitched as I whipped myself in his direction again. I immediately wished I hadn't, for a wave of nausea hit me like a brick wall. I gripped the side of the bed as it slowly passed, hoping (praying) that I wouldn't throw up all over the place.

"Are you okay, Claire? Geez, you look like you're going to throw up…"

"I'm fine," I said as I cleared my throat. After taking a couple of deep breaths, I sat up straight in the bed and looked at him. "Why am I here?"

Kai gave me a funny look. "Uh…you passed out, Claire."

"I did _what_?" I practically hissed. I passed out? No, I couldn't have…I didn't pass out. I couldn't remember…

"Yeah, you started screaming bloody murder as soon as I walked through the door. I tried calming you down but you just kept kicking and screaming. I guess you just wore yourself out because you passed out a few minutes later."

"_Really_?" I asked, my eyes wide. Why would I do that for? It seemed silly, I never freaked out like that before, why would I start now? It was just Kai…

_Kai_.

Of course. Why wouldn't I freak out if the one person who brought back my painful memories waltzed into my home right after I remembered that horrible night? It all made sense except for that fact for some reason, Kai was the one who triggered all of this. He probably didn't even know he was doing this to me.

Hell, _I _didn't even know.

It wasn't like he even remotely _looked_ like my father. What was it about Kai that made it hard for me to be around him? That reminded me of my father and what he put me through?

And then I remembered.

_Purple_.

It was a stupid thing to compare the two people with, but I must have done it subconsciously. Kai's bandana, my father's Class Ring. Both purple, such a haunting color.

That was it?

No, of course not. Their _eye _color. They were the same deep chocolate brown that I remembered.

How dumb of me not to notice something as obvious as _that_.

But that was all? Those were the two things that made me compare Kai to a…a _monster? _I wasn't frightened anymore, now I was just plain angry. Angry with myself. How stupid could I get? I believed Kai was someone he wasn't all because of the color of his bandana and his eyes.

That was completely absurd!

"…pretty much been here for a whole day."

"Huh?" I tilted my head towards the tanned traveler with a small confused look on my face. I must have drowned out his voice as I lost myself to my thoughts…

Kai grinned at me. "You weren't listening to me, were you?" I shook my head. He dismissed me with a wave of his hand. "Oh well. Yeah, anyway. You've been out for about a day now."

I sucked in a breath as my eyes widened. "A whole day?" I tore the covers off of me and tried getting out of the uncomfortable hospital bed. "I need to go take care of my farm!"

"Hey," Kai exclaimed, wide-eyed, as he stopped me from falling on my ass as I tried to escape the bounds of my small, sheeted-hospital-makeshift-prison. "Take it easy, Doctor Tim said that you weren't allowed out of this bed for a few more days."

I grimaced and turned away from him. "But my farm…," I knew I sounded whiney, but quite frankly I didn't really care. My animals were going to hate me if I didn't feed them soon, and my crops were going to wither on the vine without any water in this summer heat! Kai and the Doctor would just have to deal with me getting out of this bed a few days early.

"If it means that much to you," he gave me a toothy smile, "I'll go take care of everything on your farm until you get better, okay? It's only farming, how hard can it be?"

I almost smiled at that last statement; almost. "Well, I…I don't really…," I trailed off, biting my lower lip as I contemplated the idea of _Kai_ taking care of my farm for the next few days. I wasn't going to lie, the idea sort of…frightened me.

"Oh, Claire! Come on!"

The way his puppy-dog eyes were pleading was slightly making me uneasy. But how could I refuse him after all that I have blamed him for?

"O-okay…," I stuttered, still unsure but slightly amused.

"_Awe_-some," Kai grinned, looking rather smug with the fact that he finally got me to cave in to his demands.

Too bad he had _no_ clue as to what he was about to get himself into.

xXx

"Hey," Kai said quietly as he sat next to me on the edge of the dock. "Thought I might find you here."

I nodded once, letting him know that I was aware of his presence and wasn't just ignoring him. I didn't bother looking at him either; instead I looked at the small waves crashing up against the posts of the old-looking dock and listened to the seagulls up above.

"Whenever I have the bright idea of farming again, remind me that it sucks."

I let out a very unlady-like snort at that one. "Sure."

"Seriously," he breathed, leaning in close. From the corner of my eye I could see him grinning at me, testing my limits. I also noticed that he wasn't wearing his bandana, which was a first.

I scrunched up my nose as the salty sea breeze brushed past my face. It burnt for a few fleeting moments and then the sensation dispersed just as soon as it arrived. "It doesn't suck, you just need practice."

It was his turn to snort. "You can't make chickens practice to _like_ you. I swear I was scratched about a thousand times. How you deal with the devil spawns is beyond me."

"They are _not_ devil spawns," I complained. "They acted like that towards me in the beginning as well. You just have to show them some compassion and that they can trust you. Just because you treat them as a food source doesn't mean they are not capable of using their brains."

"Well, food source or not, that experience will forever haunt my dreams. I don't even think chickens are capable of compassion," Kai chuckled, deep and husky.

"Perhaps those chickens had to go through some hurtful things in their life and aren't familiar with empathy."

I turned my head to look at him when I didn't receive a reply for a good few minutes. Kai was staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth. Was it something I said? Did I…

Oh crap, did I really just say _that_? I was only thinking it; I didn't mean to actually say it! He didn't need to know anything about my past!

_Oh shut up, Claire. Just because you say something about chickens having no compassion doesn't necessarily mean you just blurted out your past traumatic experiences to Kai. Give it a break._

I took a deep breath. I was right. Besides, Kai wouldn't be that quick to catch on to anything. But my big mouth got me thinking…

Since I blurted something out like, did that mean I actually _wanted_ to tell him everything that once happened to me? Or was I just over-thinking like I usually did?

Kai, after finally closing his mouth, frowned. "Are you, perhaps, comparing yourself to some frisky chickens, Claire?"

Despite my inner protests, my lips twitched into a small, but sad smile. "Maybe…"

I supposed I had underestimated him.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked, his tone cheery, yet still serious. How he could pull off two totally different emotions at once still had me flabbergasted. I looked away from him with a grimace as I shook my head.

When he hooked his forefinger underneath my chin, my breath caught and I couldn't breathe. Kai moved my head towards him so that I was looking him straight in the eye. It seemed as though he was searching for something, he was looking into my eyes so intently, so…_intimately_.

A knot formed in my stomach and I bit my lower lip.

_Good Goddess._

Was I really, truly ready to tell him? Or did I just feel _forced_ to explain everything? Because if I _did_ tell him, he'd probably hate me for the rest of his life… Of course he would…

Or was I blowing things out of proportion like usual?

"I think…," I shrugged my head out of his hands, "I have to tell you something…"

"Well, duh," he grinned, despite me acting as though his touch burned me and moving out of his reach. Nothing I did ever seemed to affect him. Or if it did, he never let on.

"It's…depressing," I advised, almost choking on the last word.

Kai's grin faltered, but the twinkle in his eye refused to disappear. "Yeah, I sort of got the gist of it with the chicken synopsis."

"Of course."

"Yup."

Silence.

"So, you gonna tell me what's up or not?"

I glared at the pesky traveler. "Kai, if you want me to tell you, you're going to have to be patient."

He held up his hands, defeated, "Fine, fine. I'll be good."

"Thank you."

A shaky breath left my partly-opened lips. How was I going to explain all of this to him? Would he stop talking to me all together? Would I _care_ if he ignored me after this? Because I was disheveled, pitiful, broken, and just plain pathetic. No one would want to associate themselves with someone such as myself.

How could I put my past into words without them coming out as a jumble of nonsense? What would he think if he knew what my father did? That he killed my mother, attempted to do the same with me, and then killed himself in the end? That the cause of all of this was alcohol?

And that Kai reminded me of such things?

This was a truly awful thing to tell someone.

I took a deep breath, ready to let it all out. If I didn't get it all out soon and kept it bottled up, I'd probably go insane. Besides, someone told me once that it feels good to get something off of your chest…

"Kai, there is…," I paused, turning to the tanned man sitting next to me, when he took in a sharp breath. He was staring at me with wide, innocent brown eyes and an open mouth.

"Whoa, Claire."

My brow furrowed as my mouth formed a grim line. "I just said all of that out loud, didn't I?"

He frowned, playing with his sea foam green bracelet on his wrist, eyeing me wearingly. "No…you were just mumbling odd things." Kai closed his eyes and sighed before looking at me again. "You should relax, okay? I'm not gonna bite you or anything."

"Maybe you should relax."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he laughed, nervous. "I am being a bit uptight right now."

"Tell me about it," I breathed out shakily.

We were still sitting at the edge of the dock with our feet in the water by the time the sun disappeared. I still hadn't told Kai anything yet, and he wasn't pushing for any information. We were just content on sitting there in silence.

I let out an airy sigh, splashing the warm ocean water around with my big toe.

"You remind me of my father."

"Huh?"

I turned my head towards him, my ponytail swishing back and forth. "I said that you reminded me of my father."

Kai looked confused. "Uh…is that a good thing?"

I shook my head, deadpanned. "No."

He bit his lip and broke eye contact. "Well damn, thanks for raining down on my happy parade." I visibly flinched and he caught my movement, making him frown slightly. "Sorry…"

"Hmph, don't worry about it."

A few minutes went by before Kai spoke again.

"What was your father like?" His question was hesitant, like he was nervous of the answer.

I took a deep breath, readying myself. This was it; the moment I would tell Kai why I had always avoided him, why I was the way I was.

"Are you ready for this, Kai?"

His brow furrowed. "You should be asking yourself the same question."

But I didn't have to ask myself anything, because right then, looking into his dark chocolate eyes, I saw the real Kai; his kindness and silly humor. I didn't see my father in his eyes, and that was comforting enough.

Kai wasn't my father, he didn't look my father, and he never acted like my father.

Kai was Kai.

So I told him everything. Absolutely everything.

xXx

"Kai, we should go swimming!"

The man in question shook his head and grumbled something about spending too much time with women and not enough time with his "buddies".

I laughed at his silliness. "Yeah, Kai, c'mon! Take me swimming again!"

Kai turned around after hearing me yell at him and gave me a smile so large that it practically reached his eyes. I crossed my arms and gave him a small, shy smile.

"Okay, Claire, anything for you."

After telling Kai about my father a few weeks ago, I was slowly coming out of my shell. Of course, he was the one helping me along the way, despite everything that I had put him through. It still surprised me on how Kai could be so loyal and faithful.

I was smiling more often and laughing openly now. I started talking to everyone in town again and even made up with Popuri, who, to my utter astonishment, apologized and accepted our newly developed friendship with open arms.

I knew, though, that I still had a long road ahead of me before I could truly accept what happened all those years ago. But I had Kai to share the ride with, and I had to say, he was a pretty amazing person to be with now that I had opened up a little more.

I grabbed his hand without thinking and he smiled down at me, his eyes twinkling as he squeezed the inside of my palm. And I knew then that I had nothing to worry about.

Because Kai was Kai, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
